Apprentice Project Manager Review

My official job title is apprentice project manager. My day to day activities include working closely with the pm in charge of the project I am assigned too, shadowing him in order to learn how to do specific updates on the various systems we use here. I am responsible for a weekly project document that I must communicate out to me team to make sure that they are updated correctly each week, these documents are used by sponsors of the projects in question. I also regularly sit in on project/programme meetings and take notes, asking questions when I can. I also give updates during these meetings.

I have completed the first year of my apprenticeship here achieving a certificate for IT & Telecomm professional. While at work I have also taken part in online courses relating to agile and devops training along with change management which allows me to use the system within the bank that deals with changes. I have also taken part in first aid training and am now a registered first aider within my area

I enjoy working at such a prestigious company. I enjoy the way the company focuses on a work/life balance and that they will do everything they can to make sure you are comfortable in the role that you are in. I did however think that I would be in a more technical role, although they have tried to help me move to a different role there was apparently nowhere to go so I have had to stay in an area I did not choose, project management. I realise the relevant skills I learn in this area will help me in future roles whether they be technology based or within the project management area.

I have very good communications with my manager on a daily basis and I do feel as though she cares about my well being and wants me to be the best I can be in this role that I have been given. I have received very good feedback from the end of year reviews that I have had so far which also include ways of improvement that I have tried to improve on. It has been difficult trying to get involved with a specific project however, a lot of the time it is just sitting on calls and I don't feel as though I have been given a lot to do until very recently when I was assigned to another project.

The beginning of the program here was very messy. I was asked to choose a role that I would like to take up before joining the program back in May 2016. When I asked for a list of these roles so I can make an informed decision I was told that the apprenticeship team did not know the roles either. As a result of this I was placed into an area where, if I had a choice, I would not have chosen as my preffered role. I miss out on a lot of technology chat that I generally find interesting and want to learn more about as a result. The weekly support meetings, time for studying and other support from around the team has been very good, we are always given adequate time to work on our individual apprenticeship coursework activities within office and the support while completing these is very good. There was no relevant framework to follow when I first joined however so the team almost had to just throw me in somewhere at the last minute and make it up as they went along.

I feel as though my training provider does have my best interests at heart and wants me to do well. However they are notoriously difficult to get in contact with, sometimes waiting weeks for an email reply on a piece of coursework I have submitted, this was particularly bad during the first year of my apprenticeship, my QA assessor was extremely difficult to get a hold of and sometimes the replies you did get didn't really do enough to answer the query that was asked in my original emails.

RBS are very good at supporting their apprentices with any help or additional training they may need. After joining within 6 months we are all assigned a mentor that we will contact monthly, or whenever we have a question, to guide us along our career path within this area. I also have frequent 121 meetings with my line manager aimed at helping me through my career and answering any questions I may have or helping with any problems I may be having. They are all very eager to help and are always there if I ever wanted to ask them a question outside of these regular meetings.

I believe the money I receive for the job is more than adequate. The most I worry about on a monthly basis is the amount of money I have to pay for travel to and from work. Whether this be by car or by train. The location of the office isn't ideal however it isn't a million miles away and I still manage to have a good quality of life with my monthly pay. This pay is also reviewed every year and could result in a small pay rise, one of which I have received already.

There are many voluntary activities that are present within RBS, they will also allow 24 hours of work time to be dedicated to voluntary work throughout the year if that's what you wish to do. There are also Christmas parties and the various areas within the bank also try and meet up regularly for meals, drinks and a chance to catch up and relax after work. They also have a very good gym and swimming pool on sight at gogarburn that I have made use of in the past - they offer classes in various forms, such as yoga, spin class and weight lifting. This is all geared towards having a better work-life balance. As stated previous I also attended the first aid training which was held outside of the organisation, this was paid for by RBS and I feel it was a very worthwhile course for myself.

Yes

It is a very large company and I believe it is very good to work for day-to-day. They are a strong advocate in every employee having a very good life-work balance and strive to make sure that every employee (including apprentices) are happy and content in the work that they do. They have various services to help if you are struggling and feel as though you can't talk to a colleague about it, sensitive personal information for example mental health. These places are very good at listening and again helping as much as they can with the problem/query.

Try and communicate with someone who has been on the apprenticeship program before you if you can. Ask for a list of roles that are available so that you can choose the correct area and thus the correct career for you. Read up on RBS as a brand and there history for your interview days, they are extremely impressed with candidates that make the time to research the company that they will be joining. Try your best to enjoy the induction days - they are there to help ease you into working for the company and are very enjoyable. Don't be afraid to ask questions and seek help from any of your colleagues during onboarding processes during your first few weeks, someone will always be there to help you through any difficulties.